That Reaper, Charming
by Mad.Man.Alice
Summary: Ronald is charming in a way William can't explain. And that charming reaper makes the insecure William question things he's unwilling to find answers for.  No longer under hiatus status
1. The New Kid

Disclaimer: Nobody belongs to me

This is more of a prologue, more will be written later on.

There is something so perfectly charming about him that I will never be able to explain. No, unlike those questionably-dressed women, I do not think that it comes from the way he flirts, how he manages to slip his arm around a woman so casually. Nor is it the way he can talk to anyone without a stutter or pause. It can't simply be the way he seems so assured of himself, either. No, Ronald Knox is more than just those things.

Perhaps it is because of his very nature, a sort of friendliness that I could never muster. Others avoided me, even newcomers. The gossip had already spread about me by the time that his class was ready to take its final tests. He, the slacker of his class, talked to me so openly.

"What did you call me?" I had inquired, staring down at him.

"Boss!" He grinned and mockingly pushed up his trainee glasses, mimicking me. "You're a higher up, so that's what I'll call you!" I had only sighed and turned away, adjusting my glasses. At the time I must've thought him another tasteless idiot, sure to fail the test. But he was more persistent to talk to me than I had expected. I had become too accustomed to the title he had bestowed me, and each time I heard it yelled, I turned and expected the blond to be holding an open book, ready to ask another meaningless question.

A few months without his presence passed. Unexpectedly, I had encountered him again. It was upon my return from leaving the Noah's Ark Circus. This time he was not a student, but as a full-fledged reaper. He may have been full-fledged, but he was still my underling, as he had apparently been assigned to the London Branch.


	2. He's Surprising

Made this chapter longer. Thanks for the people who've already started following it! It's my first fanfic in years.

"How disgusting," I had slapped my record book shut and straightened up. "The bodies have the scent of that demon on them." I spoke to myself, as I had become too accustomed to working alone. So it should be no surprise that I jumped at the "'that demon'?" spoken from behind me. I spun on my heel to face my underling.

"I would prefer to work in silence, Mr. Knox, so if you please." He shrugged in response and continued his work. The childish blond had not only arrived late, but also had brought the news that Sutcliffe was assigned something involving that demon. The situation was only slightly improved due to the absence of said redhead.

"Can't we hurry up?" The blond interrupted my thoughts, stretching. "I have a party to go to, Boss. The secretarial section is havin' a party, and I'm invited." A vein throbbed on my forehead as I massaged my temples, eyes narrowed at him. He ignored my glare and continued on, starting off on a rant on his disdain for overtime. I interrupted his speech, finally elaborating on the cause of the deaths, and the meaning of 'that demon'.

Come to think of it, was that not the first time that someone had listened to my lecture?

That reaper is truly full of surprises.

For example, the time when he had, for reasons I cannot imagine, decided to steal my glasses. Steal them from off my face, while I was fully conscious, mind you. Even worse than that, he was aware that my death scythe was within my reach, and I was fully capable of using it.

I had been at my desk, proofreading my reports. Each detail needed to be recorded, and I wouldn't allow myself to turn in a paper with an error. As a young reaper still in class, I had permitted myself to slip from my standards, and my grades were sub-par in comparison to my expectations. Those thoughts had reminded me of my youngest subordinate, and how I hadn't seen or heard of him all afternoon. Just as the thought had passed, my paper had turned into a seemingly blank white blob on a plane of light brown. I stiffened and quickly tried to press my glasses up, and instead poked my temple. Panicking, I groped around my lap, trying to locate my glasses.

"Glasses, glasses, glasses…" In a bigger panic, I patted my hands over my desk, as I heard a childish chuckle behind me. I would liken it to that of an overgrown child, giggling after playing an idiotic prank. "Knox! Give me back my glasses!" I whipped the chair around, finger thrust out in an accusing point.

"I'm over here, boss." I heard Knox chuckle, and I tried to find him, to no avail. "Woooooow, you're really blind, huh?"

"Just... return my glasses to me immediately!" I held my hand out angrily, awaiting the safe return of my glasses. To my relief, I felt them pressed onto my palm. "Do you not understand the importance of glasses to reapers? Perhaps you deserve a cut to your already low pay!"

"Calm down, boss. I was just playing around. I'm here to turn in my reports."

I angrily snatched the stack of papers from his hands, tapping them on my desk to straighten them.

"You'd better hope that there are no errors, Mr. Knox." I heard him chuckling again as he left my office.

Honestly, the nerve of that reaper.


	3. Bitter feeling

This chapter is going to be a lot more focused on Will than him and Ronald, so please be patient! It's priming for more of the story.

I could admire Knox's determination at his job, despite his misguided reasons. As long as he did his work, however, I had decided it should not matter to me that he only finished early to avoid overtime and to attend his parties. I was indifferent toward him. Understandably, I hope.

I say almost with shame now that I had very misplaced affection toward another one of my coworkers. A coworker whom I had spent much time trying to, as one would say, court. I am not charming like Ronald. The best way to describe him would be to call him magnetic; the best way to describe me would be repellant. My reputation preceded me to even Knox's peers, it should be no surprise that my own workers knew all too well my lack of charm. Still, I tried for that man, in my own way I suppose.

"William? What're you still doing here?" The object of my affection had asked one night when he had found me still in my office, correcting another one of Sutcliffe's reports. I had nearly jolted out of my seat in surprise at his voice. I briefly glanced at him before  
>averting my gaze.<br>"Humphries, you don't have overtime today, why are you here?" I hadn't realized how cold this must've sounded until it left my lips, and I bit my tongue in frustration.  
>"I'm only here to retrieve my forgotten coat. And you haven't answered." To my desperate ears, Alan almost sounded concerned.<br>"I have nothing to do before I sleep tonight, and furthermore Sutcliffe's reports are atrocious." I kept my eyes at my papers, ridiculously shy for someone in my position. But Alan only smiled, I could hear it in his voice. I could almost visualize the way his lips  
>would curve up, catlike.<br>"It's not your job to fix Sutcliffe's mistakes. It's sort of sweet, though."  
>I wasn't able to focus for the rest of the night.<br>My passive advances toward Alan weren't comparable to that of his other suitors, that much I had known. It was all I could manage- it's never been in my nature to be flirtatious.  
>The occasional talks we shared somehow had made me believe in some sort of fantasy world where the introverted were intriguing; they were simply fuel for my delusional hopes. And so I tried to ignore the way Alan looked at him, the way he smiled at his words.<br>My fake little reality shattered the day Sutcliffe accused them, saying what nobody else had dared.  
>"You two are so obviously a couple! How adorable!" He cooed, waggling his hips.<br>The two had only shared a knowing glance and smiled, not the smallest hint of shame or denial on their faces. I had the misfortune go have been in the same room, and my mug cracked in my hand. The sharp sound went unnoticed, as did I when I left. Quiet, unnoticed, only ever acknowledged when I yelled. It's the same way now. I slipped into my office and closed the blinds, massaging my temples under my frames. I shut my eyes, but I could still see them, their smiles burnt onto my eyes. Their moments together flashed on my lids, as if I were viewing another torturous cinematic record. I trembled, allowing my grip on the arms of my chair to tighten as I squeezed my eyes shut. My eyes stang, and I hated myself for feeling betrayed. How disgusting and presumptuous for me to assume I was included in that life. Tears were threatening to spill from my closed eyes when the door opened with a bang, making my eyes snap open. They were reddened, no doubt.  
>"Boss, there you are! Listen, I've-" Knox's words fell short as he saw me, concerned bewilderment spreading across his face. He set the book in his hands down on a shelf, his eyes never leaving me. Hastily, I fixed my glasses and turned my face away. He approached without hesitation, as if I were a problem easily fixed.<p>

I barely heard the smooth, "Are you okay?" he spoke as I stared at his chest. The question was practically hypothetical, but I dryly replied that I was fine. So cockily he ignored my words and drew his arms around me, pulling me into his chest. His hands kneaded into my back, loosening my stiff shoulders. I may have muffled something about the unprofessional tone of it all- I can't quite remember. My gloved fingers clawed at the arms of my chair, in silent resistance to share the affection. I drew a breath, letting my eyes fall shut.


	4. Magnetic

I just want to thank the people who reviewed and alerted this story, I'm glad to see that the twist didn't take away from the storyline. I'll do my best to improve the story as I put up new chapters and I hope you'll all keep reading.

Oh and it occurred to me that I hadn't planned out when exactly this happened. I apologize in advance for the tons of confusion this could cause. Also… Sorry for the short chapters!

* * *

><p>When one feels admiration for another, their image becomes as flawless as new glass. Beautiful, smooth, a symbol of perfection worth respect. Knox's one action turned him into a glass statue. In my eyes, he could have no flaws.<p>

"You're so quiet, Will! Perk up, it's a party!" My gaze was snapped from Alan and to the redhead beside me. He was wearing a red dress for the occasion, of course. He wiggled his silk-clad hips, tightening his grip on my arm. "Release my arm, Sutcliff. I'm not above giving you overtime for your actions at this party. We're still in the office." He pouted in response and his fingers squeezed one last time before they drew away, settling at his waist. "But the office party only comes once a year~! Loosen up, just this once~!" His hands clutched at my tie, loosening it. I slapped his hands away. "Don't bother me." My head swiveled to return my gaze to Alan, but he was gone.

I glared at the space he used to be, now filled with faceless people. It might as well have been empty, for all I cared. I was bordering on obsessive, and I hated the way my heart raced the more desperate I became. I weaved my way through the people, hoping to catch a glimpse of him again. Sutcliff's huffed noise of disapproval went by ignored as I moved away. I didn't even try to make myself appear casual as I searched- not only was it a futile attempt, but none would even pay attention to me if they could help it. My only thoughts were to find him again- I don't know why I tormented myself like this. But I suppose keeping an eye on him while he was alone was less painful than not seeing him at all. But worse than not seeing him at all was seeing him with Eric- and the world has a way of making what's most painful appear before us when we are least prepared.

My eyes scanning the crowd, I'd let myself forget to look where I was going. On the job, that mistake would be fatal; at this moment, it may as well have been. I was finally reminded of this when I smacked chest-to-back with another man, making him spill his drink. I jumped and quickly righted myself. I opened my mouth to speak but it hung gracelessly open as I realized my sour luck.

"I apologize, Mr. Slingby." I finally croaked, and averted my eyes to look anywhere but at him. Where my eyes finally settled was worse. I swallowed dryly and closed my eyes, hiding the image of their tangled hands. "Good evening, Mr. Humphries."

The smile was in his voice again, cheery rather than amused as it had been in my office that night. I tried not to think of its cause, of how the one next to him seemed to make him so much happier than I did. "Good evening, Mr. Spears." When was the last time I heard that tone in his voice? Had I ever heard him that content around me? His partner merely nodded in acknowledgement, and it seemed to me as silent agreement that I had never been treated the same way. I kept my now opened eyes focused behind them. I couldn't look either in the eyes.

I should say something, I thought to myself, but my jaw stayed tight. Perhaps if I weren't so socially uneducated, I could've found a way to end the silence, or they themselves would start the conversation rather than staring at me as if they wished I would leave. It shouldn't have been a surprise. They'd want alone time.

"Sir!" An arm hooked around my shoulders and yanked me down, and I fixed my glasses in an attempt to hide my surprise. I glanced to my side to see Ronald's grin much too close. "I didn't expect to see you at the party, I'd have guessed you'd still be up in your office doing paperwork!"

I shuffled his arm off my shoulders and stared down at him. Could it have been that he knew the reason I was in the state he found me in? Either way… I was grateful.

"Despite what you may believe, I do socialize once every century." It was meant to be a joke, but once again nobody seemed able to tell. Except perhaps Ronald, whose grin widened. "I'll keep that in mind. Better enjoy your time here now, if you aren't gonna show up for ten more decades." He led me off without even touching me, his magnetism undoubtedly at work. We settled at the edge of the party, leaning against a wall as we drank. I couldn't even remember when he'd put the drink in my hands, but we now stood as if we had planned to end up like this. He was a seasoned pro, knowing how to make even the most awkward of retreats look casual. If he were the one following Alan…

I silenced my thoughts with a gulp from my glass. The double meaning of my own thoughts was best left ignored. The result was the same no matter how much I thought it through- Ronald had helped me once again, though it may have been a mystery to him as to the reason I needed help in the first place. I'd prefer it to stay that way. It seemed so much purer that way. In that way, he wasn't a charmer who saved a pitiful man from his own depressing thoughts of unrequited love, he was a- I was almost afraid to even think it. He was a friend, helping me for no reason other than the fact that he saw I needed it. That should be enough.

"Thank you…" I mumbled, but Ronald didn't seem to hear. A group of women was approaching us, though their sights were clearly set on him. As they got closer, he smiled at me, softer this time. "Let's enjoy this once-in-a-century party."

His magnetism at work yet again. Without him, nobody would even approach me, much less those of another division who'd heard nothing but exaggerated rumors. If people were puzzles to be solved, I was a thousand-piece gray one. I was the puzzle, the person, which nobody bothered to look twice at. I was too 'difficult', and I offered no help to those who tried. Was I his project? Did I amuse him with the challenge? It was perhaps my desperation that kept me from fighting his help. I'd gone too long without inclusion. I needed his friendliness, his charm, his magnetism. If not in myself, I needed it in someone willing to spend their time on me. I wasn't alone that night, and a once-in-a-century party it was.

I could have sworn I smiled that night.


	5. Weakness

The entire division seemed to buzz like a swarm of bees in a shaken hive. It had been decades since such a situation had arisen without warning or provocation, it was quite reasonable that the younger reapers were in a bit of a panic. Many hadn't seen something like this happen before. To them it was a folktale told by their superiors to scare them into following the rules. To me, it was an ever-present possibility.

Reports were usually filed punctually enough for reapers to hear the truth before gossip spread, but this time was an exception. If I hadn't been the one to follow his stretcher to the medical ward, I would've made sure that the gossip was cut off before it had spread. But more important matters needed attending.

"He'll be alright. He sustained minimal injury, and was lucky enough to be found just before his death scythe was to be turned against him. He'll probably be shaken though. It's the first time a lone reaper has been attacked without warning or provocation in decades."

The doctor had merely echoed my own thoughts, and I nodded in understanding as the he left the room. The most alarming part of the attack had been the rumors that were spread- death and amputation were the least far-fetched. It seemed strange to say, but Ronald was lucky that the demon he encountered was more a killer than a sadist.

I sat myself at his bedside and began to fill out the forms. According to the doctor, he'd need to sleep for at least another hour. I'd need to be there the entire time to ensure that I'd be able to get his untainted report as soon as he awoke. Leaving meant risking having him hear the rumors sprung from the incident before I got to him. Power of suggestion was the enemy of an accurate account of an attack.

"Mr. Spears?"

I flinched in surprise, the pen between my fingers clattering to the tile. I quickly glanced up to affirm my suspicion before ducking down to retrieve my pen. For a second I had expected what wasn't possible, but it was no relief as to what I did find. When had he started to call me that again?

"Mr. Humphries, I see you've returned from reaping. What's your business in the medical ward?"

"Grell and Eric saw the stretcher Ronald was on, and there was no official report…" The door pushed open again and the other two shuffled into the room. I kept my eyes on the paper and stiffly continued to write.

"I'm writing it at the moment. He's fine." No collective sigh of relief was uttered, no feet shuffled across the tile, the room remained silent but for the scrape of the now dry pen on paper. I set it on the table with what I hoped to be an irritated manner. "Honestly, have you three no more important work?" I flicked a pointed finger toward abandoned chairs on the other side of the bed.

It was no surprise to me that by now, Ronald had awoken. His palms pressed into his eyes as his fingers curled over his forehead. His elbows stuck straight into the air, his now-pointless splint cracking as he bent his arm. Only the tip of his bruised nose and his split lip were visible under the mask of his hands.

"Mr. Knox?" I tried, cautiously. There was no reply. It was my expectation for Sutcliff to jump in with some sort of annoying speech or something of the like, but he seemed to be showing a surprising amount of restraint. Ronald shifted a hand off his face and draped his splint-free arm over his face. The room seemed to inhale and lean toward him, anticipation building. He only remained silent.

"Why's he so quiet?" Sutcliff leaned to Alan and whispered. Clearly he needed to work on his volume if I could hear him from the other side of the bed.

"Mr. Knox, can you speak?" That wasn't the question that needed to be asked. He could definitely speak- he wasn't injured badly enough for him to be unable to talk. It was more a matter of whether or not he wished to talk. He nodded limply, his chin bobbing to his chest twice. I made no move to retrieve a new pen from my pocket. "Do you remember what happened?"

"Yes," He croaked. All trace of magnetic charm had disappeared from his voice. It trembled like a frightened mouse.

"When we assessed you, you had minimal injury. Only minor internal bleeding, as well as some cuts and scrapes. You had a supracondylar humerus fracture, but by the time you got to the ward it was healed. It merely needed to be re-set. It's completely healed now. We may remove the splint, if you'd prefer." Nobody made a move to assist him, but Ronald didn't seem to care whether it was on or not. He certainly didn't try to remove it himself.

"You're lucky, y'know. It hurts twice as bad when they break it again, and you were passed out the whole time." Eric grinned down at Ronald, leaning back in his seat.

"Didn't you cry the first time they had to re-set your arm?" Alan joked, his smile turning catlike again. It was hard to believe that Eric would cry over a pain as minor as that, and rightly so.

"You promised you wouldn't mention that!" A humorous lie, Eric hadn't done such a thing. Ronald's lips cracked into a weak grin, the cut splitting open again. A light laugh shook his frame like a cough.

"Ron wouldn't cry!" Sutcliff chirped, wiggling his hips as he sat. "He's braver than all the other newbies. He's as brave and powerful a man as Macbeth! Of course without the lack of strength of character… Scratch that! Ronald is the Sebas-chan of Reapers!"

"You're digging your hole further," I pressed my glasses up and narrowed my eyes at Sutcliff.

"But he is! Almost as good as I was at that age~"

"With much better grades." Alan laughed, ignoring Sutcliff's pout.

Ronald remained silent, tipping his head away from the others. I had to readjust my glasses to make sure that I hadn't seen it wrong, but it was clearly as I had first guessed. His nose had reddened, his lips paled, and a wet trail slipped over his nose and cheek and onto the white sheet beneath him. His entire body trembled like a frightened mouse now. Was it possible? I narrowed my eyes at his visitors, already knowing how badly this would reflect on me. I got to my feet, pressing my glasses up once again.

"You've stayed longer than you should have. Ronald was supposed to have another hour of sleep, but he was awoken prematurely, and I think it would be best to allow him to rest before visiting him again." Stiffly, I glanced at Alan. I wonder if he was used to my cold act at this point. He seemed to- he wasn't phased by my dismissal. At least I had my reasons- I could rationalize that if only he found out my reasons behind my action, he'd understand. Alan was like that, I could hope.

I watched them slowly trickle out, speaking awkward goodbyes to Ronald. If I was like the reprimanding teacher, they were the disappointed students. Alan let the door swing shut behind him without a lingering glance. I stood stiffly, unsure of my own position. Should I leave? Should I stay? I should've been asking him questions about the incident, as I knew he would've been able to answer them.

Ronald's arm rolled onto his forehead. His irises glowed so much greener with the pink surrounding them. They were wet. The arm on his forehead moved to help him sit up, and he patted the bed next to him, a silent invitation. I sat gently, as if moving too quickly would scare him away. His eyes dropped to the sheets and he absently tugged at snapped splint. I couldn't see his eyes, and I was unsure if I would even want to. Had I forgotten that even he would have weaknesses? I must've believed in his perfection so deeply that I'd forgotten he had as much vulnerability as I tried to hide.

"I'm sorry." He mumbled, yanking the splint off completely. It took a minute for me to register the words, and I was still unsure. It was a needless apology- except perhaps he was sorry he had cried?

"There's no need to apologize, Knox." The wounds were already half-healed, so the pain would be minimal, and it wasn't as if there were any fatalities due to a mistake he made…

"I didn't get the soul, I'm sorry." His voice cracked in his apology. He seemed to shrink before me, younger and weaker suddenly. Vulnerable. "I didn't stop him. I didn't get the record." He pressed his palms to his eyes again. Had he always been so soft?

"It's not your fault, Mr. Knox, there was nothing you could do."

"There was! If I'd dodged his attacks, I would've been able to retrieve the soul!" His shoulders and voice quivered, and he continued softly, "I wouldn't have had to be saved. That other reaper wouldn't have had to waste his time and be late for his soul collecting-"

My arms stiffly wrapped around him, as if they had it in their mind to break as many rules as possible in a single action. He quieted, but didn't shy away as I had expected. Was it natural for him to be hugged so casually?

"You misunderstand what happened. There was there was nothing you could have done."

How long ago had it been that he was the one trying to comfort me? Back then I had known that it had worked on me, but I wasn't so sure if I was living up to his par. Was he this unsure when it was I who needed this?

"Mr. Knox, that reaper was going back from a reaping when he saw the demon attacking you. He wasn't late. As for the soul you were to collect, that demon had taken it before you even got there." I paused and swallowed, unsure of my next words. Yet the more I spoke, the more I believed in what I said. "There was truly nothing you did wrong. The better choice, had you known, would have been to escape and hunt the demon later. You were brave, staying despite knowing the danger you were in. The entire division should be proud of you, Ronald."

His voice cracked in a sob, "Thanks, sir." His body was heavy as he leaned into the hug.

He was asleep by the time I realized I had called him by his first name.


	6. Accept him

It was disturbing, really.

"Hey, hey, c'mere."

He'd always been this way, but never to this extent.

"Why don't we get some drinks tonight?"

How shameless.

"You really shouldn't be flirting at work," the girl giggled, as if it were a joke, and peeled Ronald's arm off her waist. I didn't know whether I wanted to slap her or thank her, though neither truly made much sense.

"And you, miss, should not be on this division's floor unless you have business here." I'd settle for that interjection. She scurried away, leaving Ronald sighing in frustration. I turned to him and adjusted my glasses, scanning his expression. "Honestly, Mr. Knox, it would be widely appreciated by the entirety of the female employees if you would save that for after-hours."

In all honesty, I'd had some hope that my own rule-breaking would have had a positive effect. Instead, it had seemed that nothing had changed. I had begun to doubt that the event in the medical ward had happened at all.

"It's not a big deal," he stretched, grinning, "I don't think they mind it that much. It's more likely that they're afraid of getting in trouble."

He had stayed in the hospital for four days, two more than was deemed necessary. Those four days, he'd been quiet. He'd smile and seemed happier when friends came to visit, but there was a clear change in Ronald. I don't think he spoke more than ten sentences after the incident on the first day. And now, he'd changed again. He'd become a parody of himself.

"Why don't you come with me to the party tonight?" He winked, leaning against the wall. "Just this once. My chest tightened, feeling the same way it did when I was human and my heartbeat had quickened. I dropped my gaze to the floor, answering to his regulation-breaking white shoes.

"We're severely behind on completed paperwork. I can't both work and party."

"Then party, at least you know you'll have fun."

"Maybe not." I forced my eyes to meet his. "The hangover wouldn't be worth the night of 'fun'."

He shrugged and shook his head as if I were a child unable to grasp a simple concept. "Suit yourself." Unsmiling, he added, "Though you should know, Alan will be there." The serious expression cracked with the grin he'd been wearing since he was discharged from the hospital. Before I could find words to respond, he saluted goodbye with two fingers and left.

I should really have been grateful that he had even bothered to start showing up on time again. His first day back, he was an hour late and hit on a secretary on his way in. The second day, he was over two hours late and arrived hung-over. The third day, he'd been there even before I. He was passed out and smelt of alcohol. The scent was so strong, I was sure his clothing had been soaked from drunken spills all night. Names and addresses scrawled onto scraps of napkins spilled from his pockets. A bright red lipstick smear on his cheek told me that he had not returned to the office to complete paperwork. I washed his jacket in the sink and wiped the lipstick off his cheek before waking him to tell him how many rules he had broken. Honestly, I couldn't have him looking and smelling like that in the office, could I? It was shocking how some reapers could act.

...

In my first year at the academy, many of my peers would jump off buildings. They'd climb higher and higher ones, each on their own private mission. Some did it to test their newly godlike bodies. Others didn't believe that they could really be 'alive' after death, and tried to test if it was all real. None tried to land on their feet or cushion the blow. A classmate of mine was the first to try the tallest tower of the academy building. I was the first one to find him.

...

I don't understand why I showed up in the end. I truly hate parties, and I did not have high expectations for this one. Ronald undoubtedly would spend the entire night flirting, and there were very few others who would try to socialize with me. I stood glued to the wall, staring blankly at those closest to me. They were walking around me as if I had a personal bubble with a five foot radius. I can understand why they avoid me. As I've been told, my face is 'scary'. Perhaps if I ever dared to break the 'no smiling' rule, I wouldn't come off as intimidating. Why bother, though? Those who get past my appearance are nearly always scared off by my personality.

"Do you always come to parties to be the wallflower?" I forced myself not to jump and turned to stare. I shouldn't have been surprised to see Alan. Ronald had mentioned that he'd be here, didn't he? A pleasant smile was on his face, for some reason it was discomforting.

"I'm merely here to dampen my subordinates' fun." It was intended to be a joke, but he simply nodded and leaned against the wall beside me. I noticed that Eric was absent, and it occurred to me that now would be the best time to tell him something along the lines of 'your scythe is repaired and by the way I'm in love with you'.

"The drinks they're serving are nice," I commented instead. The idea of a confession, even worded differently, was ridiculous. He nodded again, and didn't mention the lack of drink in my hand. We were silent.

I like to believe that he acted like this because he was like me, in the sense that I'm devoid of social skills. People misinterpret me, though it's not like I understand them much either. If another person was the same way, I could pretend that he or she didn't dislike me as much as they seemed to.

"You two are awfully quiet!" Ronald was thankfully alone when he came over. He swayed with giddiness that only appeared when he was either partying or drunk. If I made all else around us disappear, the sight was almost pleasant. He winked, "Are you guys having your own private party?"

I didn't understand why I so persistently denied it. What should it have mattered that a drunk coworker misunderstood a talk I was having with Alan?

"It was a joke!" Ronald threw his hands up in front of himself, like a shield. He laughed. His eyes became upturned slits, tightening with each giddy chuckle. "Though if it were true, I'd be jealous." He leaned an elbow on my shoulder, his words heating my face with drunk breath. "He's quite a catch, eh?" I was unsure of who he was talking about or to whom. Regardless, my ears burned.

"You know," He slid his arm around my shoulder, pulling me closer so he could speak into my ear. It would have seemed a secret had he not spoken even louder. "I'd be lucky to have a guy like you. Except I'm straight." He laughed, and I pinched the bridge of my nose.

"Mr. Knox, how many drinks have you had tonight?"

"Well, there's a new guy, I guess they switched halfway through the party, 'cuz the other guy was gonna cut me off three or five drinks ago." Alan beside me furrowed his brows.

"I think that it'd be best if you go home now." I spoke sternly, but the words were gentler than they needed to be.

"Fine, fine, I'll leave." He stole a half-finished glass off a nearby table and downed it, wiping the remnants off his lips with his sleeve. He dropped it back on the table and made his way back into the throng of the party.

...

Despite my average grades, I was appointed a high status in my classes. It was my job to assist the instructor and lead the class if need be. When I was assigned this duty, the instructor had told me that my unshakable calm had made me the most suited for the position. He had mistaken my inability to emote as being 'calm'. Despite knowing that, I accepted the position.

It wasn't much later that he'd taken a small group of students to observe a reaping. The human to die was young, too young to be outside by himself, too young to try swimming in a lake alone. I watched him thrashing in the water, and he was not even yelling for help. By the time I made up my mind to save him, he went under and drowned. Looking at my outstretched hand, my instructor told me I should never try to interfere. Eric, at the time my classmate, told me it wasn't my job to care.

...

When Ronald didn't show up at work the next day, one could say that I overreacted a bit. It certainly wasn't my job to check on him, division leaders aren't meant to play nanny to their subordinates. It would have made more sense for me to simply send another reaper to visit his house on their way to a soul collection. However, it didn't turn out that way.

Under the excuse that we were short-handed while Ronald was absent, I took his "To Die" list and started towards his house. The first collection wouldn't be due for an hour, so I figured that it would be best to find him first.

Things felt odd at this point. After he'd shown me sympathy, I'd grown to admire him. Despite knowing that he had many faults, he'd become perfect in my eyes. Was it crazy of me to think so of a reaper lower in rank, not to mention my junior? In short, it was. Never before had I actually shown that kind of unconditional respect for someone to whom it wasn't properly due. I suppose that I was grateful to him.

Since he'd changed, however, all I could see were his mistakes. His irresponsibility, his short attention span, I could nitpick him all day as I did with the other reapers. The strangest part was that I didn't want to.

"Ronald Knox." I knocked on his door, preparing myself for a groan of protest inside. To my surprise, there was nothing. Again, I knocked, this time harder. I called his name again. There was no response. Unreasonably fearful, my first thought was that he'd been attacked by a demon again. Incredibly irrational, considering that he was no threat in his drunken state last night. I tested his doorknob, and the door swung open.

Furniture was toppled over, clothes had been shed on the floor, and that awful yeasty smell of booze seemed to seep from the carpet. Ignoring the filth, I hastened on my way to find him. It was to my luck that Ronald's home was rather small, for it didn't take long to search. I found him in his room, asleep on his bed.

There was a different smell now, a musky one mixed with a flowery perfume. I wrinkled my nose and tried to ignore what all the signs pointed to. If there was one part of him that I was trying to hide from myself, it was what I could clearly see now. The dent in the second pillow, the note on the nightstand, the smells in the air, all clear signs that I chose to ignore. This was the only thing I was still keen on denying the truth of.

I pulled the blanket higher up Ronald's exposed torso and slowly removed his glasses from their tilted position on his nose. I'd never figured when I'd first met him that I'd ever see him like this. I was about to shake him awake, but as an afterthought I took the note off the stand and crumpled it into my pocket. Why I'd begun to act this way, I was afraid to try understanding.

A/N: Thank you to those who have favorited, reviewed, and put this story on alert. I'd originally planned to write every day, but it's been taking more time than I thought it would. I tried to put some symbolism in this chapter, and I'm not sure how well that worked out. I notice when I look over it now that I should probably have added a lot more description to it, because it seems sort of thin and lacking. I've been spending way too much time on this already though, so I'll leave it be and do better with the next chapter. I hate to ask, but please review and let me know what you think of the story so far.


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